Content:

Summary:

Review:

Lillian Hempel is a 40-year-old American doctor working in an English hospital. Having just severed one relationship, she is in no hurry to begin another with Raymond Forbes, a handsome, beguiling stranger whom she meets upon a visit to a cathedral.

At home, Lillian's life is in the midst of constant upheaval because of the presence of her promiscuous, carefree younger sister, Amy, and by the mysterious appearances and disappearances of Raymond, who showers Lillian with gifts. Although Lillian is professionally accomplished, the film portrays her as inept when it comes to love. At any rate, their romance starts happy, with Raymond taking her horseback riding, then gambling. Amy, meanwhile, gets pregnant.

Lillian and Raymond marry, but Lillian keeps the marriage a secret from everyone. Raymond disappears again, and Lillian learns about his bad debts. Eventually, the truth surfaces about the sophisticated, well-dressed entrepreneur when she meets one of his wives: he is a no good womanizer and bigamist who has been buying things with money he didn't have.

Hollywood's career-woman-as-victim premise is thus at work again. There's also a sub-plot involving Lillian's passivity which is intended to lead a public protest for more government funding, which the film uses to resolve Lillian's dilemma when things don't turn out romantically for her.

If the filmmakers really think that the state is going to solve Lillian's problems, they need to listen to those who had to grow up in the cradle to the grave security of Marxist Russia. Better yet, they need to read Ludwig Von Mises, Carl Menger, or even I Samuel 8 to 13 (which sets forth the Truth much more succinctly) to understand the bankruptcy of socialism.

None of this matters much, though, in lieu of the overwhelming feeling one gets for how lost these characters are, most clearly shown in the opening scene where Lillian and Raymond view a statue of the crucified Christ. Lillian: "What a weird idea! Christ dying to take away your sins and make your life better." Raymond: "Yes. It's obscure."

Such a statement is sadly ironic, considering the sinful elements of bigamy, adultery, promiscuity, nudity, profanity, and obscenity that are present in STRAPLESS. However, as 1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing." Pray, then, for these unbelievers, whose minds have been blinded by the god of this age, that they may "see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Miramax has been at the vanguard of the independent film companies pushing more obscene films on the American public. Please address your comments to: